Globe-trotter Guy is back to provide natural solutions to problem horses

He goes on to rattle off some of the difficulties he is asked to deal with – horses that buck, bolt, rear, refuse to load, will not be caught.

What an owner may see as impossible and sometimes frightening behaviour, Guy views more as a question of lack of communication.

“It gives me a buzz to work with horse and owner,” says Guy. “Looking at horses psychologically and seeing why they do things, it’s easier to see where the problems are.”

He has been involved with horses all his life and has spent time in America, Australia and New Zealand, where he gained much of his experience, working with and watching some expert horsemen.

Eighteen months ago, back on home ground at Rawcliffe Bridge near Selby, Guy and his fiancée, Victoria Robinson, set up their own yard where they are taking liveries, training young horses and dealing with problem horses. Guy also runs horsemanship clinics and does demonstrations.

There was never any doubt that Guy, 29,would have a career that involved horses.

His mother, Dawn Goodfellow, is chief executive of the Northern Racing College at Doncaster, brother James runs a horse transport business and sister Anna is about to go and work at a stud in Australia.

As a youngster, Guy tried a number of different disciplines, including show-jumping and eventing.

But it was polocrosse that turned out to be his passion. He was a member of the UK’s polocrosse team on many occasions and also captain of the senior team for a number of years.

The team competed internationally and, through contacts he made then, he went out to New Zealand for the first time, where he helped to break in and train horses for polocrosse.

Back home, Guy studied international agricultural and equine business management at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester and then went into racecourse management.

In his spare time, he continued breaking in or “starting” horses and realised that this was what he would prefer to do full time.

He took up the offer of a job at Taupo in New Zealand for six months and became more and more interested in natural horsemanship. “I was working with a lot of horses, reading, going to clinics, I just found out the things that worked for me the best and I got more of a feel for it,” said Guy.

“A lot of what I do is self-taught plus what I have learned from watching experts like Pat Parelli. All I wanted to do was enhance the level of communication it’s possible to get from a horse, it’s important that we try to see things from their point of view.”

What is important, says Guy, is to build respect between horse and rider. “You need respect and confidence. You have to be the dominant person in that relationship and you have to have a respectful relationship.”

Quite often, however, when owners go to him to ask for advice, that respect is lacking and it is the horse who is in charge.

Guy will be doing a natural horsemanship demonstration at the Northern Racing College, Rossington Hall, Doncaster on September 23 at 7.30pm. The event is being organised by the BHS Yorkshire region, tickets are £5 available from Alison Harris at [email protected] or call 01977 795450.

* THE annual Wagoners’ Open Day is at Sledmere on September 18. The event commemorates the part played by the Wolds farm workers, their wagons and horses during World War I.

Sir Mark Sykes, of Sledmere, had the idea of forming the Wagoners’ Special Reserve and the men from surrounding villages were among the first to go abroad in the First World War, driving the horse-drawn wagons that supplied the front line.

There will be five wagons and horses at the open day along with an Army GS wagon and visitors will be able to watch driving demonstrations over a course used by the original Wagoners.

* A Hunter Trial at Thornton Lodge Farm, Easingwold on September 18 will have classes for levels from minimus through to novice and open and a special nanny and novice class. Go to www.thorntonlodgefarm.co.uk or call 01347 821306.

Riders revealing all in attempt to get Claire back on her feet again

THE intrepid Women’s Institute Calendar Girls from Rylstone near Skipton were the first to have the bright idea of baring all in aid of charity and many have followed their lead, some more successfully than others.

Now some well-known riders have been persuaded to reveal all (well, nearly all) for a calendar that will raise money for a very good cause. They hope that proceeds from the calendar, Riders Revealed, will get former event rider Claire Lomas walking again. Claire was paralysed from the chest down after an accident while competing in 2007.

She is determined to be able to walk again with the help of a ReWalk suit, a new robotic suit which will soon be available in the UK. She hopes to have the suit in time for the London Marathon next year and if this is the case, she plans to walk it.

Since her accident Claire has taken up ski-ing and has been selected for the British Disabled Development Squad. She has married her partner, Mark, and they have a daughter, Maisie.

The calendar features 33 well-known names from the equestrian world, inc+luding Mary King, Mark Todd, Piggy French, Blyth Tait, Geoff Billington and Andrew Thornton.

Claire hopes to raise £35,000 for the ReWalk suit. The calendar costs £10 plus postage and is available at www.ridersrevealed.co.uk.