'I have a lovely client who I have worked with for several years. Last year she bought a young horse and although she was doing a great job with him she was intimidated by his spookiness and sensitivity to his surroundings. She began working with Mel several months ago and I have seen such a difference in both Sutty and Jo. Because Jo feels like she has more tools to help her deal with problems that come up she is so much more confident which in turn passes on to Sutty. It’s been really great to see them both develop in confidence'

'Having a young extremely anxious horse has led me down a new innovative pathway with Melanie.
Rather than thinking the horse doesn’t want to do something it becomes more about what is actually stopping them from achieving what you are asking. You can then find a way through that block or tension to help them achieve success.
This is a complete change of mindset and difficult initially to maybe embrace from a human perspective but the end results are truly phenomenal.
The groundwork isn’t something I ever thought i’d find myself doing but it is now always at the forefront of my mind when working with any horse as the benefits both physically and mentally are remarkable.
Melanie is such a dedicated and passionate trainer with an abundance of knowledge and patience and I can honestly say my horse and I would not be at this current stage of our journey with out her coaching and expertise.'

'I have been lucky enough to have seen Mel work with several horses using her groundwork approach and then carrying it through to the ridden work. There has been some challenging behaviour but the principles of her method has always allowed the more to make the correct choice and give the right answers. I believe this compassionate and holistic approach is the only way forward to train the modern sports horse thus enabling a stress free progression for horse and rider.
My older trained horse has also benefited becoming much softer and looser in his way of going.
It is certainly the way forward and I would recommend.'

'Asked Mel for help with my 4yr old who found new arenas/situations more scary than i’d previously encountered with any other young horses.
The groundwork Mel introduced me to was very different to anything I had ever done before. However a few months in and I’m thoroughly enjoying learning not only a new approach but also why my horse does the things he does!
We are now much more confident as a combination and have more tools to deal with the scary moments.'

'I decided to experiment with some of Mel’s groundwork lessons to see if it would help my horse, Gio’s spooking, he was particularly reactive to pressures around his hindquarters including his own rugs!
It is safe to say I was more than impressed with how he improved not only did Mel help him cope with pressures but it offered us so much more.
Mel’s experience as a trainer really helped me to understand that how Gio was responding in the groundwork were the same issues as those holding us back in the ridden work. By addressing these issues on the ground with patience and improved communication meant he was subsequently much more supple forward and relaxed under saddle.
This system has given me a much better understanding of true horsemanship. Through patience and taking time to really understand Gio helped us succeed. I would recommend it to anyone.'

'When I was asked to write a testimonial for Mel I honestly didn’t know where to start….I started training with Mel in 2012 after Toga was sidelined from eventing and we thought we’d give BD a go. I knew nothing about dressage. All I know now is through her knowledge and expertise. I could not train my horses with out her help. With her dedicated teaching and support Toga and I won 3 regional titles and competed at both the winter and summer national championships numerous times.
I bought Ronnie as unbroken and without Mel’s help I would have been lost. She never gives up and slowly but surely she is guiding me through training Ronnie.
Mel’s dedication to becoming the best she can be is admirable. During lockdown she started to study and train in groundwork. She introduced Ronnie snd I to the basic groundwork patterns in early 2023. It is still very much work in progress for me but the benefit to Ronnie  both physically and mentally are clear to see. Mel’s dedication to her training doesn’t stop. She trains weekly to then be able to pass her knowledge on to her students. I feel extremely lucky to be able to train with her and can not recommend her dedicated skills and support enough.
I can honestly say Ronnie and I wouldn’t have had the success we have without her involvement. We train weekly with Mel. She makes dressage very relatable and I have gone from an eventer  who previously “got through the dressage phase” to someone who genuinely enjoys training and competing in pure dressage.'

'We started going to see Mel a few months ago because we needed some help gaining confidence with our mare. We found that most of the time our horse was leading us rather than the other way around, dragging us to eat grass, pulling us to where she wanted to go, or putting on the brakes and refusing to move. Getting on was so difficult, if I were alone I'd have to wait for someone to come to the yard to hold her or try to leap on quickly while she was moving around.
We had run out of tools and options to kindly but assertively and safely gain a better partnership. Mel helped us to regain a better balance. The tools we have learned with Mel have helped us to gain confidence and develop a much better partnership with our horse. We are able to lead her around much more easily and confidently and she loved learning the mounting block trick so much that getting on her is much easier now.'

'I’ve been taking our horses to Mel’s for 18 years—one of the few things I’ve stuck to religiously, even in the hardest times, because of the incredible benefits to both me and my horses.
In my early years of competing, her knowledge and teaching style helped us achieve more than I ever thought possible. She didn’t just teach me to ride—she taught me how to train, understand movement, and recognise how my own position influenced each of the horses.
Competing isn’t our goal; instead, we focus on understanding each horse’s physical needs and helping them feel comfortable, confident, and balanced. Mel has been invaluable in this journey, especially in showing us the power of groundwork, which benefits horses of all ages and abilities, even those unsuited to riding.
Now, having trained with Mel for so long, all my team who work with the horses are also enjoying regular sessions with her, which in turn benefits every horse in our care.
Groundwork is not only essential for their well-being, it's fascinating and incredibly rewarding—strengthening trust and deepening the bond. We’re incredibly fortunate to have someone with Mel’s expertise and ability to share knowledge in such a practical and effective way.'