Here at Sean Hardy Horse Training, we take pride in working with you and your horse to ensure your horse has the best possible start to success. From training young horses, re-educating horses with issues on the ground or under saddle to loading and travelling problems, we can help with it all.

Having worked alongside some fantastic trainers both in the UK and New Zealand, I have taken what I have learnt and developed my own way of working with horses to overcome their problems. I focus mainly on the foundation stages of training, establishing control and respect by setting up exercises the horse can easily understand. I aim to take away the “grey” area, making things very black and white so the horse can feel confident in what it is being asked and what is expected of it.

I got into horses in my late teens, initially playing polocrosse and quickly found an interest in training horses. I found it really interesting that everyone had their own way of training and so I started looking into it further. I discovered my passion to be working with young horses and was fascinated by the whole process of handling and backing a youngster. I could see that it was like mastering a whole new language and began to learn how to communicate with them. I truly believe that everyone has the ability to train a horse and so I try to break it down and make it simple allowing both the horse and its owner to understand the process and communicate better. I work with the horse on the what, why and when and then I work with the owners to help them feel confident in handling their horses. I believe that many of the problems arise from how horses are misled by their owners, who fail to set boundaries and show the horse clearly what it is being asked to do. It’s about asking the right questions to the right horse, at the right time. Going back to basics, getting your horse soft and supple, asking them to react in the correct way and if they don’t, not getting frustrated but taking a step back, resetting and asking again.

A quote form an experienced horseman that has stuck with me throughout my career is “frustration begins where knowledge ends”. I took this to mean that you are always learning, that you shouldn’t get frustrated and think WHY is this not working? You need to think WHAT can I do to change the outcome of the exercise and HOW can I set us both up for success? I definitely feel like I am always learning. Every horse that comes to me has a different set of issues and reacts differently to my questions and that’s what keeps this job so interesting. I’m always learning, the horse is always learning and the owners are always learning. With this mindset, I believe you can solve any issue and make great progress with any horse.

Sean Hardy Horse Training has been operating for five years, initially based over near Thame and now at a new yard in Great Missenden. Most of my work comes through word of mouth and I am proud that the owners I have worked with are happy to recommend me to others. I take a real interest in helping people overcome real life problems that they may come across during their horse’s education at any time.
I’m looking forward to this year’s Horsemanship Showcase event where I hope to inspire you to build a
better partnership, help you be a better mentor for your horse, and establish a more positive connection.