Bailey's tale offers hope and inspiration to the rest

But she doesn't believe there is any such thing as a "bad 'un".

With a little tlc and a different approach to training, even the most difficult horse will turn out all right in the end, says Sally.

Take the case of Bailey, whose owner sent him to her farrier for breaking-in as she was struggling on her own.

The horse was beaten so badly when he was returned to his owner he had scars all over his face and legs, fractures to the bars of his mouth and he was a complete nervous wreck, throwing his owner off when she tried to ride him.

The full extent of the injuries to his mouth were revealed when his teeth were checked.

He then went to Sally for re-training and rehabilitation.

She says: " He was extremely fearful of being touched but through careful handling he was soon accepting a bridle."

After a lot of ground work and bareback work, Sally then had to get him used to a rider with a saddle.

"This obviously brought back some terrible memories for him and he produced some explosive reactions."

But by using the in-hand techniques he had grown used to, Sally was able to "overshadow" or take his mind off making a fearful response.

Once this hurdle was overcome he came on in leaps and bounds and within a few months he was happily hacking out.

"He had the most amazing temperament," says Sally. "Unfortunately his owner had to sell him due to financial reasons but he has found a lovely new home where he can continue his education."

The farrier who did such damage had simply dismissed him as a "wrong 'un".

Sally, 33, who lives in Ossett, is an equine behaviour specialist and also a BHSAI qualified coach.

A couple of years ago she went out to work and train with Dr. Andrew McLean and his wife, Manuela, at their Australian Equine Behaviour Centre in Victoria to learn more about their training system which combines classical training with the scientific understanding of how horses learn.

She has always been interested in bringing on young horses and re-training difficult horses.

Finding out more about how horses' brains work has helped her to understand why their behaviour can sometimes be difficult.

"These unwanted behaviours are known as 'conflict behaviours' and are often learned accidentally when the horse becomes confused through incorrect training or pain, usually through pressures being used incorrectly," explained Sally.

"For example putting two aids on at once, such as hand and leg together, not accurately timing the application and release of the aids and not using the aids consistently.

"The horse's brain differs greatly from ours but we tend to humanise them and describe them as 'stubborn' or 'lazy.' They have an extraordinary memory for meticulous detail but very low reasoning abilities.

"People assume the horse knows right from wrong and then get frustrated when they fail to respond to their training methods and resort to using force in an attempt to get results.

"The horse's brain is simply not capable of such complex thought."

Sally worked as a legal secretary until eight years ago when she decided she wanted to work with horses full time.

She went through the BHS exam system, worked as a groom at different event yards and did her teaching training qualifications at the Yorkshire Riding Centre at Markington.

"I got interested in natural horsemanship and started putting it into practice. I went to watch Andrew Mclean do a demo when he was in Wales and I was blown away by his methods," added Sally.

She was subsequently invited to go out to do some training at the centre in Australia. Now she is working as a freelance teacher and also trains horses and is looking for a small yard to rent or buy in West Yorkshire.

Her latest project is a horse she has been given who was about to become another write-off due to his behavioural problems returning. It is going to be a challenge but Sally is confident that he will respond to the methods she uses and if all goes well, she is hoping to ride him in competitions.

Contact Sally Mitchell on 07801 946775 or visit www.sally-mitchell.com