Hello

Just to let you know how Ellie is getting on after over a year of you coming to see her.  She was based at Aldham Mill (I am sure you won’t forget that place!).  Anyway I moved her last Christmas to a lovely little yard near me which immediately helped in her behaviour as she hated Aldham Mill!  There are only 4 mares at the moment and she is in a much bigger outside stable and very settled.  Unfortunately she got hit by a car in July but thank God she survived.  I don’t go out on the road now.  However, I think due to this incident we have bonded – I do neck stretches with carrots with her every day which she loves as you can imagine!  She has quietened down and I just laugh if her hoof comes up at all or she shows her teeth.  Anyway she is a lovely horse.  What your training did is give ME confidence so I was no longer afraid of her.  Once she realised that she stopped a lot of what she was doing.  As I said she still ,smiles, at me but not very much now.  She is mine for l  ife and I love her!

All the best and Merry Christmas.

Janine

Background On This Testimonial:

Bess was a sweet horse but was a nightmare to handle. She did not tie up in any way shape or form and could not be stabled. She came out over every door, climbed walls, threw herself on the floor and as such had suffered many awful injuries. She simply did not accept being put anywhere she did not accept and was afraid and angry of being confined.

I had her a week and in that time made her face all her fears, was given strict rules and given positive reinforcement for every little correct form of behaviour.

We taught her to ground tie, lunge beautifully, tie up and relax and accept the stable as a safe place to be.

Linda had an intensive week on a massive learning curve too ,with her body language, expectation of obedience and all these new techniques to learn. She did extremely well as did Bess.

Now home and happy Linda is  still completely blown away at the changes that can be made in such a short period of time. Fantastic week!

Testimonial:

Dear Melanie and Team
From purchasing my dream horse, albeit wild, untouched and running with the herd, a beautiful pure bred Friesian Yearling.
After six months of hard work and best efforts Bess’s testing and strong willed behaviour had become dangerous to us both. Her tantrums had stopped me performing even the smallest of tasks i.e. tethering her or even walking away from her in a stable, the consequences were sometimes horrific! I had run out of ideas and quickly realised that Bess and I needed professional help before something tragic happened.
After reading Melanie’s website and recommendations I rang her to have a chat, telling her of my problems and asking if she could help. She assured me that she would be able to help us, and more.
I must say that I did not have Melanie’s confidence as the turnaround she suggested would be just short of a miracle!
Well, the reason I have written this testimonial is that, yes! Miracles do happen!
Spending time on Melanie’s Yard being involved with Bess’s training is the certainly best thing I could have done for us both. From watching her work on new horses coming into the yard as well as mine, accompanied with the open friendliness and support from her team is awe inspiring.
My wishes and expectations were exceeded; I have learnt a lot and have walked away with a different horse, a horse that is happy in her own skin.
I can honestly describe Melanie as a guardian angel and cannot thank her and her team enough for all the help and advice received.
Linda Shipley x

Hi Melanie,
Just to say a big thank you. As you know i called you about Patrick we had not had him very long he is a 13 year old welsh section B only cut and broken just over a year and he had been with his previous owner all his life.
This was a huge wrench for him and he just was in chaos we couldn’t ride him, he bullied us in his stable kicked and tried biting, he was very angry and behaved like an unbroken pony. Then you turned up, we didn’t think anything was going to be happening anytime soon just thought it was going to be a long term problem. How wrong we were, it is a weak today and Patrick is following us round the yard like a puppy he tries really hard to please and he is ridden most days. His trust in us within a few short days is nothing short of a miracle and although he throws an occasional paddy it is more out of frustration because he tries so hard and they are not to hurt you as they were before you came.
Thank you once again Melanie I would recommend you to anyone whatever the problem,you have given Patrick his confidence back as well as teaching him good manners and My daughter the tools she needs to make her pony really special. Can i just add watching you work and how much pleasure you get from the transformations you create is an inspiration.

Thanks Diane, Georgia and Patrick

Dear Melanie,
I’ve written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: “I can’t speak highly enough of Melanie and her staff at Skidby.

I turned to Melanie many years ago with confidence issues in my riding and having bought a new young horse, I needed help. I had fortnightly lessons, building on both mine and my horses confidence. Melanie was both inventive and creative in her methods, and I found that without realising it, we were improving beyond anything I had hoped for.

Nothing was too much trouble, and Melanie understood both mine and my horses needs. She has an immense thirst for knowledge, and applied every ounce of patience she had in teaching me. She has remained a true friend, who stepped in to help when I had an older horse put down, was there when I needed a wall to bounce ideas off.

Melanie is a true business woman, having started from nothing, she has been resourceful in learning new ideas, shows tact and understanding, is a great leader by treating her staff with respect and as a result they have been there forever and its a really happy environment to learn in.
I have no hesitation in recommending Melanie as not only a teacher of horse behaviour but now as a great friend and someone who people can learn a lot from.”

A friend suggested that we contact Melanie, when we bought a 15.3 fully feathered black and white Gypsy Cob called Rolo.  Rolo was great to ride but very bolshie in the stable and also when taking him in and out of the field.  After being stood on and knocked over we urgently needed a solution.
 
After discussing Rolo’s behaviour on the phone, Melanie came out to visit us and Rolo at our yard.  We had a very educational and enjoyable evening.  Melanie suggested that Rolo and us should spend a week at her yard for some behaviour therapy.
 
On day one Rolo showed his true colours and tried to get out of his stable when the other horses were being put out.  When being lunged he had a good work out with Rob the trainer (lol).  We were told that this behaviour continued for a couple of days until Rolo realised he would be rewarded for good behaviour and not bad behaviour.
 
On our return the change in Rolo’s behaviour was amazing. Melanie and her team then started to teach us some of the techniques they had used with Rolo…we needed to keep up their good work.  We decided to leave Rolo at Melanie’s for a couple of extra days so that Rolo and us could learn more from Melanie.. Pete and Rolo also had fun learning to ride western.
 
On our return home Rolo was a different horse… the horses and everyone at the yard couldn’t believe the change in Rolo’s behavour… even John the farmer said what a good lad he was now. 
 
If you have a horse with behaviour problems we would strongly recommend that you contact Melanie and her team. There are no hidden agendas and you are always welcome to visit the yard and watch them at work.  They are very professional, caring and supportive.  On your return home Melanie is just at the end of the phone if you have andy further questions or need any extra help.
 
Thanks again Melanie, Lucy (the dog) and the Team… Kylie and Rob for all your help and support.
 
 
Lis, Pete and Rolo

Hi Mel,
 
Just an update to let you now how Lucky is getting on now that I have had her for 6 months.
 
Firstly can I just say how accurate your description of her was when I came to try her. For once someone who tells the truth and is completely honest about a horse. I was VERY nervous looking for a new horse due to the bond I had with Boysie my previous horse who I made the very hard decision to sell after 3 1/2 years due to not being able to hold him when he decided he wanted to go (17.2hh warmblood – 5ft3 female )
 
I came to try her and spent more time worrying if you thought I was riding correctly than concentrating on Lucky. I know how special she is to you!! Well for some reason and i still cant put my finger on it I liked her and wanted to try her again. Her attitude seemed to click with me and although unsure about getting a new horse thought that she might be the one. After taking her to an arena to do some jumping I decided that she was going to be my new horse.
 
Well I picked her up and took her home without a moments bother. She settled in fine and owned the field. After 10 days I took her to hire a cross country course and show jumping arena. To say I was shocked was an understatement. She flew around the open course on the cross country and popped over 110cm jumps for fun. Knew I was onto a winner. Took her to a competition after 3 weeks and she flew around a BE event course without a care in the world.
 
Since then we have mainly concentrated on show jumping. Affiliating her and starting at British Novice. She has clocked up some wins and placings always being soo willing to jump. Never has she stopped with me, even when I ride her like a pony and take some very strange jump off angles!!!! We recently travelled up to Richmond to show jump and decided to try the 110cm class. Slightly nervous I took her in the ring and thought, if nothing else it will see how we are doing. Well, the bigger the jumps the better she was and it resulted in a lovely clear round. I was one very happy person. We had two down in the jump off but I couldn’t have cared less. Once very happy horse and rider.
 
With Boysie I competed in team chasing, a member of the Barnsley Babes ‘open’ team. I still wanted to do a bit of team chasing but with my job it can be hard working the shifts I do (police officer!!) I took her round a fun class with my friends children and she didnt bat an eyelid. Decided to step her up to an intermediate when I could next go….My original team was short so I don’t know whether I was drunk or concussed but agreed that Lucky and me would have a bash at it on the understanding if she didn’t like it I would pull up. Team happy, one very nervous Amy. Well, today was the day and when we arrived we walked the course, I was very worried as the hedges were so much bigger than I remembered. Thinking I had made a stupid decision I got on board and warmed up, agreeing with the team I would ride in 4th spot incase I had to pull up. Start time came around very quickly and off we went. After the 2nd fence she went into 3rd place and onto the hedge I hated, a 5ft wide hedge up a hill out of the woods. I misjudged take off completely but Lucky being Lucky didn’t care and took off only to land short and catch the hedge buckling on landing. Having sat that and picking herself up she continued and popped the next hedge like nothing had happened. What a horse!!! The team was slightly apart at this point with the lead rider going off 4 fences ahead. This however did not worry Lucky, up she stepped to lead the other two members round. We completed the course clear and have qualified for the national finals. She took it all in her stride as if she had been doing it years.
 
Having Lucky hasn’t always been plain sailing though. Her moodiness is very annoying at times and we have had our ups and downs. Now we have reached a happy medium and get along brilliantly, Lucky obviously putting me in my place when she feels I am in the wrong. She now has a brand new Bateson trailer as I think she felt she was above my older one, lol. However, its great that she is as big of a bitch as I am!!!!
 
Hopefully we have plenty of years to come of having fun and competing which we will keep you updated with.
 
Amy x
 
Oh, Lucky sends a kiss and lick as well xx

Growing up I always had ponies but due to work commitments I had about a 10 year break. When I managed to free up some time I decided it was pony time again. As I was now 10 years older I decided maybe a nice happy hack would be the way to go. Bill was a 4 year old Fell Stallion who had started life in a wild herd and was now being used to pull logs on a farm and as a breeding stallion. This was nowhere near the happy hack I had decided on, and quite unsuitable. He was advertised as broken but when I went to try him it was clear he had no idea. I did what all prospective purchasers say they will not do, I got carried away with his good looks and home he came anyway.

Once home it quickly became clear not being broken was the least of Bill’s problems. He was scared of everything to do with life around humans. I do not think Bill was intentionally treated cruelly by his then owner as he seemed very fond of him. He still calls about him now. I do think Bill had lead a harsh working life and perhaps been handled roughly by the workers.

Small things in everyday life like walking past him with the yard brush or the wheel barrow were the end of the world to him. He would tremble and quiver with fear of being hurt and if it got too much he would panic breaking the rope and be away! So we gelded him and set about treating him kindly, waiting for him to come around.

Six months later he had not made much progress so I sent him away to be professionally broken in. He spent 8 weeks at a lovely stables, who were very kind to him, and he came back ride able. But all the old fears were still there. He was so tense when being ridden he had no flexion or bend at all. The hardest part of riding him was the smallest thing would freak him out, (including his own shadow sometimes), and he would jump straight up into the air and then shoot off away. After a disastrous hack I decided it wasn’t worth his neck or mine to be out on the roads. After that we just rode in the field but he wasn’t much better there. The worst part was when you looked at his face you could see he was constantly on the edge with fear. What an awful way for him to live. Something had to change.

I had never considered Natural Horsemanship and had thought it be a bit of old crock, (sorry Melanie)! But I needed to help this little Man so I was willing to have an open mind and try a new approach. My first hour at Melanie’s yard had me 100% sure that I had done the right thing and she could help Bill. Melanie and her staff, (Rob, Carly and Vicky, thanks guys you were all great) have created an environment where horses and people alike feel safe and can learn. The best thing is Melanie wants to help you too so you can learn what to do with your horse when you get him home. I spent 3 very, very informative and fun weekends at the Skidby yard and learnt so much. The methods used are amazingly simple and Melanie explains what to do so well I believe anyone suited to try it.

Bill is now home. He spent 3 weeks with Melanie. Three weeks, such a short time for such a big difference! Bill now loves to hack out and we trundle calmly around the village. I can brush up all round him with the yard brush while he stands, hind leg cocked, scoffing a hay net. Last week our blacksmith was amazed with the change when Bill stood totally relaxed to be shod. Usually the sight of a metal rasp in the hand of a man would have sent him into a panic. He still has his issues with people, but he is trying to face them now rather than panicking and running away. Those 3 weeks now mean that Bill has a chance of a happier life and when we have completely mastered this part of his training I will certainly be going back to Melanie to try and take him further. If you are considering trying this method of training do not hesitate you will not be disappoint.

Joker is a welsh section D x Highland pony, born on May 22nd 2006. He was homebred out of my pony mare who I have owned for 11 years. I decided that I wanted Joker to be bred to become a driving pony and that I would eventually show him.

Joker did drive but seemed to be very nervous whilst with other people around him, especially when being touched near or around his rear. I was beginning to feel as if he could not trust anyone round him at all….including myself. I could handle him fine but the moment another person joined in he would simply panic and try to run. Once I realised that this was happening too frequently and that he was showing no sign of improving I ceased the driving. I therefore had to rethink the choices I had regarding his future.

I now decided the only way was to back him and try him ridden. After a few weeks we were leaning over him and bringing the leg over him. Although slightly nervous, we decided to carry on. This was a big mistake! He could not cope and I fell off twice in the process….we called it a day at this point. I really thought I had been beaten. I have backed several ponies and horses before but never have I come across one so challenging and complicated as Joker. I really felt it had come to an end, especially after working all those hours and hours in my sand school with Joker on the ground. I still felt he had very little trust in me whatsoever, if any at all. This made me incredibly sad, as I have a good relationship with my mare of 15 years as well as Jokers mother, who again I have a strong bond with.

How could a pony that you have bred yourself become so nervous around you and other people? I had no answers…….

I was then told about a lady called Melanie Watson who I believed to be a trainer who concentrated on “Problem horses”. I met Melanie and arranged to take Joker to her yard in Skidby in November 2010. Joker I knew would be a challenge. Although understandably anxious, I did have faith in Melanie as everyone told me she was excellent. I wanted this to work so much as I knew that this was Jokers only and final chance.

I left him for 2 weeks before I returned as I wanted to give him time to settle. I freely admit that I was not prepared for what I was about to experience! Melanie explained to me what de-sensitising work she had been doing with Joker then took me round to the school…..we then did what people would call “Join-up”. I found the whole “Join-up” process incredibly moving, I had to fight back the tears and a huge lump in my throat as I watched. I was incredibly moved to then watch Melanie climb all over this pony from every angle and side of his entire body with no panic, no worries and no “I’m going to run away”! It seemed a complete miracle! Joker was finally completely at ease with people and within himself. I cannot describe how, as an owner, this felt! …..Especially after so many disappointing months of running, barging and sheer panic.

Back home and 6 weeks on, my pony “Joker” stands beautifully at a mounting block, accepts any rider and hacks out through all the villages around with so much confidence, it puts a massive smile on my face! He has ridden alongside a motorway, takes on large Lorries, motorbikes, double decked buses….there is nothing he will not go past! We even rode down the lane at home with a helicopter taking off not far from us.

Although I have ridden and been around horses for 34 years, it just goes to show that you never stop learning, especially when it comes down to horses. I will now look on this whole experience as a massive learning curve. I cannot stress enough to any owner out there, who is or has had a similar experience as myself, to never give up hope. There is help out there…and it can be done!

Emma Long, South Cave, East Yorkshire.

Liz Harris has endorsed your work as Owner at Instinctive horse training/ Skidby Training and Livery yard..

Dear Melanie,
I’ve written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: “I met Melanie in 2010 when I contacted her after a recommendation from a client, as we are both interested in the rehabilitation of ex racehorses. I visited her yard and watched her work with various horses and was very impressed with her approach – no nonsense or faffing about, just direct communication with the horse.

I have since come into ownership of a “dangerous bullet case” who I took on as a project to rehabilitate. Albie has been passed through countless homes over the last 6 years and has an attitude to match! I spent several months working on the physical pain and when he was ready Melanie came out and worked with us both for an entire day. I was quite shocked to see how much temper came out of this little horse, which had been pent up for years – but Melanie calmly worked him through this. By the end of the day I had a relaxed, attentive horse – literally like a different animal. His conformation even looked different as he had finally relaxed psychologically and physically.

Thanks to Melanie’s training, I now know exactly what to do should Albie’s temper get the better of him in the future. This means that I feel safe and confident and in control of the situation.

The best thing of all is that he now looks at me with trust, rather than wariness. I am absolutely delighted – thank you Melanie!”

Dear Melanie,

Thank you so much for today. I learnt a lot with James and I think he has learnt to have a lot of respect for me as well!

I would have NEVER have thought that I would of ended up riding James in a rope halter! I would have said you were mad if you wanted me to ride him in one….say yesterday!

+ when I am rugging him up, he just stands there until I tell him to do otherwise!

The loading is just amazing as well! I honestly never thought that he would load into our trailer without me…even just going up that ramp with him!

The lunging is amazing too + the leading, basically everything!

Thank you so much and I hope to see or hear from you soon.

Love from Lauren and James. xx

Hi Melanie.

Just to let you know that Harry and chums are now at ETA in Dover in nice pasture awaiting transport to France in January.  I just wanted to say how well Harry is doing.  I had him in for a couple of days prior to them going jsut to make sure they were nice and dry and relaxed.  Harry simply could not put a foot wrong.  Remember how he usd to turn his back in the stable? He willingly stood with his head over the door happily letting me put his halter on.  So gentle when I lead him out, never failing to stop with me and never trying to barge.

If something spooks him, he doesn’t go bananas, just stays with me or if it’s a bit more I bring him around in a circle ’till he stops.  He’s been super great.  I can groom him all over, all around his middle and back, he just stays happy and relaxed.  I loaded him into the 12 horse box and he was relaxed and ears pricked when I called to him through the window to say goodbye.  So 5 stars once again to you Melanie!!

Thank you very much.
Jennifer Milligan.

Hi Melanie, thought I’d give you an update on the pony. Well she’s been a star. She’s never bothered a bit with coming in or going out, walks lovely to and from the field.

On the odd time she gets a worry no longer am I dragged or spun on she’ll do this little jump forward and almost check herself. so we just stop and wait then move off when I’m ready. I pick up her feet every morning and check her heels and have a good feel, she’s so much better with them.

We’ve even had no face pulling in the mornings she waits quietly to have her halter put on and waits to be asked out of the stable. We still play at moving her around the stable, but now i just have to point where I want to her to move to and sometimes reinforce it with gentle wafting of my other hand, all without the halter and rope.

She’ll looking well not bothered by this snow and cold.

The yard move hopefully will happen before Christmas weather permitting. So hopefully she’ll settle and rule the roost with the boys. Although have been warned one of them is a bit of a tit has no manners, but hey ho.

Thank you so much for all your help.

Sharon

I first contacted Melanie in January 2010 to ask advice on re-training my ex-racehorse. He was extremely unwilling to work in any gait and this really puzzled me. I knew that he retired due to an injury and that he had spent 3 years at grass before i bought him.

His protests to work were quite severe, he would half rear up whilst being asked to move into trot and really slam his front feet down. Even on the horse walker he would rear and buck.

I do manage to bond with my horses very quickly as i did with this horse, but the problems really stumped me.

I spoke to Melanie on many occasions to work out a training program for him, which i carried out exactly as discussed with Melanie.
Unfortunately he did not respond. My concerns and Melanie’s concerns were then, that he must have some underlying injury. I spoke to the Racehorse Trainer and the Vet that looked after him whilst racing, and sure enough he had suffered an injury so bad that he could not been ridden ever again. The injury was not evident in any way, and the trainer thought i had been made aware of this upon purchasing him, unfortunately i wasnt informed.

Melanie was an absolute Rock for me through this whole process, I had a gorgeous horse that couldnt be ridden and i was absolutely broken hearted.

Melanie sent me details of where i could purchase another ex-racehorse, but right at the last minute, Melanie told me that she had an ex-racehorse that she had retrained and was ready to be sold on.

I received photos of the horse and i fell in love with him instantly. Melanie’s yard is in Yorkshire and I am in Berkshire (approx 6 hours drive away), so I asked her if I could have him on loan for a month to try him out before I bought him. Bless her heart, she said “Yes”.

Before I knew it my horse was on the lorry and on his way down to me. He arrived late at night and it was dark so i couldnt really get a good look at him, but in the morning he greeted me through the yard gate.

What a gorgeous boy. I had my trial month and absolutely adored him, there was no way he was travelling 6 hours back to yorkshire. He was my boy now and will stay with me for the rest of his life.

I have now had this horse for 5 months and he is exactly as Melanie described and much more. He loves me so much and i love him so much, we have a great relationship and enjoy lots of quiet time together and lots of fussing and love.

We are now enjoying a life of dressage and practicing our show jumping.

I can honestly say if it wasnt for melanie i really dont know where i would be now.
She is the most decent, honest, trustworthy person i know. She willingly gave me advice over the phone, she willingly loaned me her horse to try with a view to buy. She gave me more confidence and self esteem, i have even passed my BHS stage 1.

If anyone has training issues melanie is definately the right person to contact, she is very successful in her training methods.

thank you Melanie – ive never met you, but we will be friends forever.

Deborah.

Since my daughter was 5 yrs old she’s always wanted her own pony, I’ve always said she could have one when she was 13 and old enough to look after it properly. She accepted this well and concentrated on reading every horse book/ magazine that she could lay her hands on. She went to riding lessons regularly every week.

Her enthusiasm never faltered throughout, so when she reached her 12^th Birthday last June I gave her a challenge, I would allow her £500 to invest/trade in any way she wanted, and if she could turn this initial sum into £2000 before her 13^th Birthday then I would bring forward the time when we would start looking for her pony, to the date she fulfilled her challenge. She duly completed her challenge just after Christmas, having earned all the money herself without any gifts at all, save for the original £500…!!!

We looked at many ponies across the whole of East Anglia, when it looked like we might never find one we stumbled across “Smokey” a lovely 3-4 year old New Forrest x Connemara she was only about 5 miles from where we live. She had a lovely temperament and was gentle and easy to handle. After a couple of days thinking we bought her. Lucy soon began riding her and quickly fell in love with her new best friend. Everything was going along brilliantly; Lucy’s weekly lessons were now carried out on “The Smoke”. Things couldn’t be better if they were a fairy tale.

Then one day out of the blue Lucy was riding along side our farm track, when a white van went by too quickly and Spooked Smokey badly, she threw Lucy off and trampled her. Luckily Loo only suffered a bit of bruising and was ok. “The Smoke “however was particularly upset by all this and didn’t want anything to do with anybody….!!!   She became bad tempered, and over the next few weeks the pony that our daughter had so ably earned the right to own had turned into a vicious animal, that was both intimidating and unrecognisable as the lovely pony we had bought a month or so earlier.

. My wife and I are complete novices when it comes to our equine friends; we hadn’t even a solitary idea what to do. We do however have lots of friends who have ponies and horses but I quickly learnt that they all had different ideas, as to how to tackle the problem. My poor daughter in the meantime was pulled first one way then another, by all the competition to help…..!!! During this time Smoky was getting worse and worse, she was now unable to be ridden and was frightened of her own shadow. When faced with this, my daughter true to her character, dug her heals in and battled on, trying desperately to regain control and Smokey’s trust. With very little help from us she stayed determined and unwilling to give in. Tears were flowing freely now from a small girl that had laboured hard to earn her money, and had fulfilled her dream of one day getting her own pony. What would we do?  It was getting increasingly unsafe for anyone to go in the field with Smokey now and we had to tell Lucy to only go in when we could be there as well.

I decided we needed some impartial professional help, and we needed it straight away. I set about searching the internet for a trainer/behaviourist; it was there I first saw the name Melanie Watson. I looked her website up and was impressed with her work, and also that she had her mobile number readily available, I rang the number and straight away it was answered by a friendly Melanie who spoke with an accent that I instantly recognised as one from Humberside.

We booked an appointment for Melanie to come to our farm in Cambridgeshire and have a day with us training Smokey and more importantly our daughter Lucy. She was almost uncontrollable in her excitement and anticipation, when the day finally came.

I have to admit I was a little sceptical about one days training having much if any effect on this ever deteriorating situation. Ours was a situation of desperation though, and anything was worth trying. What was to follow though totally blew me away, within an hour or so Melanie had started to make progress, and by after dinner the pony was transformed. At no time was the pony hit or any cruelty dished out, better still my daughter was then trained to carry on the work in the coming weeks and months.

It has been just over a month now since Melanie’s visit and Smokey is improving all the time, Lucy spends many hours a week training and riding, not once have we seen any nastiness from our pony again.

Thank you Melanie for the brilliant job you did for my daughter, and for Smokey. Lucy has a permanent smile on her face now and can feel safe and confident with “The Smoke”

We now have back the Pony we originally bought, more importantly my daughter can move forward with the knowledge of how to train her pony properly.

As for my wife and I, we not only have the wonderful addition to the family that Smokey is, we also have a very confident little girl who is living her dream thanks to you Melanie.

George and Jane Munns

After being away from riding for a lot of years I bought a steady cob to begin riding again now I have the time. Unfortunately, due to a very nasty road rage incident between my horse and the driver of a particularly large lorry, which left my horse, traumatised and terrified in traffic, I looked in the Yellow Pages for someone to rehabilitate and retrain my horse to restore his confidence in traffic.

After trawling through various names offering horse re-training, I decided on Melanie Watson. I could not have made a better choice by choosing her. Subsequently, since being involved with horses again, I have realised how well known and how very highly respected Melanie is by equestrian owners of all disciplines and from wide areas, not just locally.

After a long conversation on the telephone where she outlined her strategy, she left me to think about, with no pressure to bring the to horse to her. After a few days, I contacted Melanie again and arranged to take my horse to her stables for rehabilitation where she actively encouraged me to visit and watch the progress that she was making with the horse. Nothing was hidden and all of my questions were answered completely and honestly.

My horse spent six weeks with Melanie, and in that time the change in him was remarkable. She has restored his confidence considerably; he was much more responsive in his general handling. Despite all Melanie’s efforts with my horse, my confidence was so badly shattered that I was only able to ride him with her walking beside me, which was not a long-term solution.

After another heart-to-heart talk with Melanie, it was decided that the best option would be to sell the horse and for me to try and regain my confidence by going to a good riding school in riding in an enclosed, secure space. She showed the horse to respective buyers for me and even transported him several miles free of charge, to another person who had showed interest in purchasing him. After a couple of weeks he was sold and I was sorry to see him go.

I am still in contact with Melanie and I cannot thank her enough for everything that she did to try and put my horse and myself back together again. The fact that I did not have the confidence to ride my horse again is no reflection on Melanie at all. Whenever she was there I was able to ride him, but unfortunately without her there to bolster my confidence, my courage failed me completely.

I was very lucky the day I picked Melanie out of the phonebook. She is such an honest and open person and a great friend to have who certainly knows her stuff has far as horses are concerned. During the time my horse was with Melanie, I saw her training/retraining various types and temperaments of horses and she was never anything else than calm, effective and professional in her handling of these animals.

Melanie has supported Yorkshire Wolds Riding Club for probably longer than she cares to mention, being part of the furniture is one of her many jobs as club trainer. The club is a small club and its aim is to support riders who want to learn more about riding their horse in a non-competitive, unthreatening training environment.

Melanie is incredibly adaptable and can provide a session for the two people who turn up one week to the twelve who decide to come the week after. Everyone who comes along gets something out of the session and Melanie provides feedback to everyone afterwards about what they have achieved and what they can do to carry on the work at home.

Anyone who knows Melanie will know that she has a unique sense of humour and this comes over frequently as she tries to get us to understand exactly what she wants us to do. She is renowned for prancing around the school trying to demonstrate what the horse should be doing (you really have to see it, it’s hilarious). Even the horses have been seen to roll their eyes in exasperation!

What do we value most about Melanie? It is her undying faith that one day one of us will get it right, her belief that every one of us has potential to achieve a balance between our own expectations and a happy horse. Her enthusiasm, endless encouragement and the way she knows each horse intimately, what it can do, what it can’t do and (especially in the case of my horse Norman) when the horse is leading the rider up the garden path! It is her ability to have you constantly stretching your expectations as a rider, without leaving you feeling like you will never get there, and ultimately her genuine pride when you achieve your goals whether that be staying on right through the whole lesson, competing at your first novice test or jumping the whole course clear!

Jackie Ingham
Club Secretary

Early in 2007 I bought my new boy 5 year old ‘Little Joe’, who at 16.3hh wasn’t so little at all. After a very promising start to our partnership bit by bit his character started to change, resulting in increasingly violent rearing and broncing episodes. Following a couple of lucky injury escapes a friend suggested I give Melanie a call for help and assistance.

Melanie paid Joe a visit and concluded that many of his problems stemmed from remembered pain from his past. Melanie worked with Joe to overcome his psychological problems and fears and excellent progress was made, his usual friendly, willing character returned and he happily accepted being ridden and we began to plan when he could come home. Unfortunately out of the blue his behaviour became extremely unpredictable and dangerous which led us to believe he has suffering from a brain tumour. Ultimately after many discussions with both Melanie and my vet I had the difficult decision made to have him put to sleep.

Despite the sad ending in relation to Joe the knowledge I gained from Melanie has proved invaluable. I learnt so much from her, she has a vast understanding of how a horse’s mind works and how they react to situations.

I now have a new mare and have put the knowledge I gained from Melanie to good use with Moonlight. She’s a big girl and knows how to use her weight and size against me. By using the techniques that Melanie taught me, Moonlight’s behaviour on the ground is now as good as her ridden behaviour is.

Melanie – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, many many thanks.

Before I start my story I would like to say that if you have a problem horse or a horse that needs retraining then you have found the person that you need. You really will be giving your horse the very best opportunity in its’ future life. I have met a great number of excellent equestrian trainers, but no one compares to what I have seen Melanie achieve.

I rode quite competitively as a youngster and we as a family, come from a very equestrian background. Due to other commitments, I had to stop riding until recently. I then saw an advert for Sophie. She was 5 and at this stage, unbroken and described as a little sharp!

When I saw Sophie she had been brought in recently, having lived wild around the Bradford Airport area. She was definitely very sharp. She had a head collar on that was cutting into her face and she had scars on her neck and feet. We later discovered that she had been caught up in barbed wire as a 2 year old (Melanie took the time to track down the breeder to try and identify what had caused the physical and mental issues the horse suffered from). The sensible person would have walked away, however I saw a horse that I liked and although she was thoroughly DANGEROUS, I bought her.

When I got her home I soon realised that I had made a terrible mistake. I did not have the facilities, time or the experience to deal with this horse. I have broken horses before and ridden dangerous horses but this was a different league. The thing with Sophie was that it was ‘fear-based behaviour’ so a harsh approach would have been wrong. She was so explosive and powerful, I knew that I needed help.

By chance, I happened upon Melanie. She has given me a fabulous horse and given Sophie the ability to live a normal, fulfilled and hopefully, a successful life.

The techniques that Melanie used were different. The principal is that horses are herding animals and that the herd is lead by the matriarch. If a member of the herd is misbehaving it is dealt with in a certain way by the matriarch. It is the study of this behaviour that underpins a lot of Melanie’s work. Coming from a traditional background I viewed any other techniques as “Natural Horsemanship” and to some extent dismissed it.

The difference when comparing Melanie to others is the way that she cures the problem and more importantly trains the owner so the work can continue back at home. I was embarrassed by the situation I found myself in. Melanie and her team never looked down on me or made me feel stupid as a lot do. The yard is not state of the art, but it is professional, friendly and puts the horses before the economics. Melanie’s yard is probably the cleanest and best run that I have ever seen.

My only expectation was to have a horse that I could sit on. My expectations were exceeded by 100%. I had a calm, level headed and respectful horse. It was like the mad chip in her brain had been removed. I ride this horse down very busy main roads with trucks travelling at 50mph driving towards me. She has the biggest jump I have had the pleasure to sit on and we could not be happier.

All of this has been achieved without beating her up. It is also surprisingly affordable. What you can’t put a price on is the chance Sophie has had and the life she can now lead. I have no doubt that she would have ended up being shot if it had not been for Melanie and the thorough work she and her team put in.

All I can say is a big thank you to Melanie and her team for an amazing job.
Mike.

I first met Melanie around 10yrs ago when I started to visit her yard to exercise a friend’s horse. From the first moment I saw Melanie working her ‘problem’ horses I knew I was witnessing something very special. Melanie is a phenomenal horsewoman in hundreds of different ways but what really impresses me is the way she is able to work with a horse and truly understand its problems and fears and how to help. I have seen Mel use a variety of techniques, traditional methods, her own variety of natural horsemanship and many other non-habitual methods but always with understanding, a great deal of care and infinite patience.

About 6 years ago I got my own horse – a 16.2” 11 year old thoroughbred gelding who had been in racing all of his life. He was beautiful, with stunning paces and an affectionate nature on the ground. He was also incredibly sharp, spooky as hell, prone to panic and haunted by his past. Mel and her team of experts at Skidby re-trained First Light and with their help and Melanie’s expert advice, training and enthusiasm, First Light turned into a happy, well balanced, forward going horse who used to babysit the young or problem horses. I could take him to the riding club and to local dressage competitions. He even learned to jump sensibly!! I learnt more than I would ever have believed possible from owning an ex-racehorse but it could have gone horribly wrong without the support and expert tuition I received from Melanie.

Unfortunately First Light got a serious bout of colic in September 2008 and had to be put down. To the end Melanie and her team were there, helping and offering me invaluable advice. It is a constant source of comfort to me to think what a fabulous life First Light had after his racing career and much of that is due to the expert re-training he received. Many ex racehorses do not get this opportunity.

Earlier this year my 16-y-o TB decided that he wasn’t going to load into his trailer any more. We spent hours trying everything to get him in, but each time he got two feet on the ramp he jammed on the brakes, put his head in the air (at 16.3hh it doesn’t leave you much room to negotiate) and refused to go any further. This behaviour was made doubly frustrating by the fact that at some point each time he would just say “oh OK then” and walk happily in as though there was nothing wrong. And there wasn’t – at the other end of the journey he was always calm, interested and ready to go to work – no fear, nervousness or sweating from being in the trailer or going on the journey.

The last straw was a late night journey home from Riding Club (made no difference whether he was leaving or going home) when I was left alone with him refusing to load in a dark lorry park, in the rain, polos and carrots long gone…

Melanie told me that the fix was a session with the rope halter. I had seen her flexible approach using natural horsemanship methods work well with many other problems, and she thought he would respond quickly, being a rather precious and sensitive type of chap. And he did – within half an hour he was loading – up the exit ramp as well – over and over without any hesitation. The key message was “there is no ramp” – not Matrix jargon, but a real statement to hold onto. And it’s true – he is either in the trailer, or out of it. The opportunity for hesitation has gone because now I expect him to load and my body language, subliminal messages, call it what you will, all tell him there is no ramp and therefore no problem.

We haven’t had a problem since, and I can’t explain (except of course to all those others who have been in that dark, lonely lorry park, or worse still been surounded by well-meaning people who want to beat the horse in with sticks…) how much simpler and easier it is to travel. He loads himself, leaving me to stay outside and just close the ramp behind him. Without any kind of force, stress or agression, Melanie has quickly, effectively and permanently taken one of my the biggest worries out of travelling to competitions – now all I need to do is get myself ready on time!

Having purchased Ash (a 15hh, grey gelding), I was assured that somebody would be able to help me to train him into a ‘normal’ horse…..however, after trying 3 different instuctors, Ash was still as nervous/anxious as ever!

Very basic things such as – standing still whilst you get on, walking (instead of constantly jogging) and stabling him (was very stressed out when inside) all needed to be addressed in a non-aggressive manner, Ash had undoubtedly been subjected to some brutal treatment in the past!
Thankfully, I got in contact with Melanie and she supplied the exact style of re-training that my horse deserved.

Ash and his anxieties were addressed in such a simple (when you know how) and pain-free manner, that it was a real pleasure to witness my horse’s transformation!
My only regret being….that I didn’t ring Melanie first!

Jennie Hardwick

By Jane Pearson-Moore, South Dalton, East Yorkshire – 25/10/2008

Nearly 10 years ago Melanie Watson enabled me to pick up where I left off with my riding… after a 20 year break!! She carefully and skilfully nurtured me back to a position where I felt able to compete on my very own horse. She then ‘found’ me my beloved ‘horse of a lifetime’ – JJ.

Melanie’s patience and good humour whilst I bonded with JJ will be forever remembered.
Since this time Melanie has remained a close friend to both me and my family, with her talent as a highly skilled all-round horse trainer and rider becoming more widely known as the years go by.

Dear Melanie

I am writing to thank you and Karle for helping me with Rosie.

I was having trouble getting on Rosie and asked you for help. You told me that after your training she would be so relaxed that she would stand still resting a leg while you got on. You also said that I would be able to hack her along the road and if I could come along each day I would learn such a lot. I thought WOW, but could it really be that good? But Melanie, you were true to your word.

I thought that I would just be watching, but from the first morning you got me involved with grooming and tacking up. Every strap and hook had been put on correctly. I had a particular problem with the boots and no matter how many times I put them on the wrong way, you or Karle always had time to show and explain and you never made me feel stupid! You took me by surprise when you asked me to lunge and long rein Rosie, especially when I went on the road with her. You were constantly reinforcing my bond with Rosie and building my confidence with her. Each day learning to do something different and a little harder. If Rosie had a small problem it was that she could be a little impatient at times. As her mother is impatient, I assumed it was a family trait. You explained to me that it is just as important that a horse learns to relax as it is to go forward. You spent a lot of time with Rosie just standing still scratching her bottom and I shall never forget long reining Rosie in Skidby at a road junction with men digging up the road behind her with a loud pneumatic drill (which Karle had asked the men to keep on!) She just stood there in an open rein while I scratched her bottom. Buses and cars were going past in front of her, WOW!

It was fascinating watching you and Karle back Rosie the American way, teaching her to move away from pressure and feel comfortable when she was near you. Yes, she did rest a leg when you finally decided she was ready for Karle to sit a stride.
When I rode her I was impressed how responsive she was to my voice and leg, how she would turn if you tapped her shoulder and stop when I gently pulled the neck rein. Not to mention the fact that she was totally unflappable out on the road whether it was young boys on skateboards or motorbike riders speeding past.

Thank you Melanie, you have given me hope that I will be able to ride and enjoy my home-bred horse.
Next year when she is ready to re-back as a four year old I won’t be wasting any time having anxious moments I will bring her straight to you.

Thank you

Gill Furman, Laxton, East Yorkshire.

Dear Melanie,

Ref: Annual General Meeting Thursday 20.06.08

Everyone who attended the meeting thoroughly enjoyed your stimulating presentation and thank you so much for being our guest speaker. Members were still talking about your enthusiasm long after you left.

We learnt a little about your world and hopefully you found out some interesting facts about us.

Thank you once again

Yours Sincerely

Mrs. M Clarke
General Manager