Far from the lush paddocks, frolicking horses and rolling hills of the Hawesbury farm, she calls home, Rochelle King-Andrews grew up with a completely suburban, non-equine background.

‘I was trained as a ballerina and was expected to have an academic career. Dancing and school liked me but I intensely disliked both. Talent is nothing if your heart is not in it. And being honest, I was much less talented as a rider but was prepared to do anything to be good at it.’

‘I fell in love with a little white horse on the way home from primary school. I’d save my sandwiches for him as a treat. He was a placid little fellow and I would climb the fence and lay on his back daydreaming. Eventually, I was lucky enough to have a horse of my own, an enormous standardbred racemare. She was wildly unsuitable, but I loved her dearly. I trained her from a book on classic dressage which was nonsensical when applied to a racehorse. It left us both frustrated.’

‘I felt so alone with the enormous burden of this seemingly insurmountable task of learning how to ride. I was struggling to understand what to do with a horse to make it happy and calm. So often I would hand over my money after a riding lesson and be given no support outside of my forty minutes. I longed to feel part of a community. This experience ignited a burning passion to not just understand how to communicate with horses in harmony and beauty but help other people who wanted to understand horses too. I vowed if I was ever good enough to teach others, I would do it with love, kindness and compassion.’

‘We have just launched my heart project after forty years of studying and developing our own training system. Our online community provides training and support for riders and horse lovers the world over.’

‘I want to be sure no one ever feels as alone as I did growing up and trying to understand horses. Now I feel I can help everyone who wants to learn. Being approached to be an ambassador for Palomino Jewels was an incredible moment for me. It took all of three seconds to consider my schedule and obligations and decide there was room for more!’

Photos: Equestrienne Magazine