About
Hi, I’m Sophie, and I’ve been horse-crazy for as long as I can remember. My love for horses began the moment I was born, and it really took off when I got my first pony, Paul, at 10 years old. Paul was a strong-willed character who quickly put me in my place, but instead of scaring me off, he just made me love him—and horses—even more.
My journey with horses was shaped by my time in the Pony Club, which gave me the confidence and community that I still value today. I even went on to instruct for the Pony Club and at a riding school for a while. Eventually, I pursued a degree in Equine Science and followed it up with a Master’s in Equine and Canine Chiropractic. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at almost everything—eventing up to BE Novice, show jumping, dressage, working on different yards (including an amazing racing yard that really sharpened my skills and a behaviour yard that opened my eyes to training techniques), hunting, polo—you name it!
These days, I’m lucky enough to have William, my true equine gentleman. My kids call him ‘H,’ short for ‘Horse William,’ and after losing my heart horse Crunchy in 2022, William has truly become my horse soulmate. We love going on long hacks and fun rides, and we’re starting to explore jumping and flatwork together. At 17 years old, William’s still got a lot of spirit, especially when it comes to jumping, so we’re working on keeping things steady and in control. He’s got a wonderful little companion, Millie, who’s the perfect pony to round out our little herd.
Going forward I dream of riding at Badminton Grassroots - this will be with my next horse and although this may be a few years in the future yet, I cannot wait for this to happen and dream about it daily!
My pearls of wisdom that I’d like to leave you with are:
“Let’s be the rider our horses would choose”
- AND -
“Never stop dreaming - you can achieve anything you want”
I created Tack Up and Ride With Me because I noticed that horse owners often needed just a little extra support.
After spending 14 years as an Equine Chiropractor, visiting countless owners and their horses, it became clear to me that many people were looking for more community and guidance. With that in mind, I put a lot of thought and planning into creating Tack Up and Ride With Me—a platform where we can learn together and build a supportive community.
My goal was to teach owners new skills like massage, schooling techniques, and boosting their confidence.
I was crazy about yoga and pilates and knew how much of a difference this could make to riders, and was lucky enough to meet Mirren who is trained in Equipilates both mounted and unmounted - a real biomechanics queen.
I became really interested in rider confidence and realised that a lack of self-confidence was often holding people back from achieving their goals with their horses, so I decided to dive deeper. I studied happiness and confidence coaching, earning certifications in both, and also completed a diploma in hypnotherapy to offer this powerful tool to help riders reach their full potential.
