Claire Sandercock started riding when she was seven, and by age nine decided to be a trainer. Over 15 years, she has engaged in many disciplines, including dressage, jumping, western, driving, and ranching, and has ridden various breeds, as well as young horses and problem horses.
She has spent ten years experimenting with different trainers’ methods, from traditional to natural horsemanship. She picked up the best aspects of each of these methods and has incorporated them into her own work with horses. However, like many of her clients, Claire found that often these trainers could not help her understand why their method worked, or what to do if it didn’t. Horses are individuals and are trained every time they are handled, so she believes horse lovers must understand how their horse’s mind works.
During her nine months of study and work at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre (AEBC), Claire completed the Diploma of Equitation Science, the third Canadian to do so. This has enabled her to bring together training methods to train horses in an ethical way that can be adapted to any horse and rider. Equitation Science explains how horse training works through learning theory. This means she can create new solutions to difficult problems because of her thorough knowledge of learning theory.
Claire believes horse riding is more enjoyable with a well trained horse. Known for gentle and effective teaching, she has been helping riders of all ages and abilities improve their horse handling and riding for the past six years. She enjoys using exercises that create effective, fun, and challenging lessons, making her a favourite at riding camps. Seeing horse owners incorporate her clear instruction to achieve success in training their own horses is what inspires her teaching.
In addition to the Diploma in Equitation Science from Equitation Science International (ESI), Claire is certified to instruct horse riding and handling by ESI, holds a Diploma in Equine Studies with Distinction from the University of Guelph, Canada, and has attained 4-H Level 5 Horsemanship.
