SMS
Equine and Canine About
Equine and Canine About
SMS Equine and Canine is built on a lifelong connection with horses and dogs, a background in biology and healthcare, and a genuine passion for animal welfare.
I have travelled a lot for work and but felt most at home with family in Scotland. I decided to move to Ireland in 2019, after spending a lot of time here with work and horses, and am now a total sea swimming, chicken filet roll eating convert. After 15 years working in healthcare, I decided to retrain in the field I had always loved.
I am a dog person through and through. I had my best friend Lola for 14 years, and now work with Dogs Trust Ireland alongside my practice.
I grew up just outside Cheltenham – hunting, attending Pony Club and competing nationally in eventing and dressage.
I worked in polo, showing, racing and stud work, but from my early teens my main passion was breaking ,producing and rehab for eventing, racing and hunting. I have groomed at international level eventing and despite pivoting into a "real job" kept this up supporting friends at some fantastic international events when they needed a travelling show groom.
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My competition ambitions were cut short aged 21 when I temporarily paralysed myself falling off a hunter on a hack- not the 5 racehorses/ breakers I had done that day! I couldn't stay away from horses long, and a year after my accident I found my legend of a horse Connor. With him, I returned to hunting, hacking, training and some amateur eventing up to 110cm. I have since continued this with other horses and had the pleasure of owning competition horses up to 4*, and enjoy producing few young horses, and occasionally riding out in racing or pointing.
Professionally I moved into healthcare, starting off working in pharmaceuticals and spinal devices sales, then moving into IT and consulting, and later as a Deputy IT Director in the NHS. I remain a data girl, and engage with the latest research and technologies to bring to my practice.
Academically my undergraduate degree is in Biology (2:1, University of Bristol) and I hold a Masters from the Royal Agricultural College.
I am now a Society of Master Saddlers qualified saddle fitter and hold a Level 6 McTimoney Animal Therapy qualification — awarded with a pass with distinction. I am currently studying for a Masters in McTimoney Animal Chiropractic, which I expect to complete in 2027.
