Jennifer Howard Wednesday July 23rd WRC speaker-dinner.

Jennifer Howard. A New Zealand Horseworld Icon

35 Waimakariri Riding Club members gathered to hear Jennifer Howard talk at one of their regular speaker-dinners. What an inspiration and how lucky were we to have you give us this interview. Author of "Darling did you fall off, or did you win" and "Teaching riding, where it all begins", developer of a book of language horse riding coaches can use and inventor of the Telerein, Jennifer has ridden, trained, coached and competed successfully, at the highest levels, all over the world.

Jennifer was bought up in England and probably a very different England than we know now. Jennifer spoke about her early years and how important it was to learn to fall off, curl and laugh! This meant she always fell off relaxed, and on her back. For her first riding experiences they had to fall off if the husband came into the riding school. Schooling was somewhat limited and horse riding was the main education for her. Jennifer talked about being in London and riding with friends and meeting their trainers. She watched the Spanish riding school and was coached by one of the best from there.

Jennifer also talked about her time in an American girls’ boarding school where she developed her coaching and teaching skills to a new level. She was also fortunate to be able to develop an equestrian centre when one of the parents gave her a free rein and lots of money to develop an indoor equestrian centre ahead of its time!

Getting her visa to come to NZ was a little adventure for her and she was soon appointed head coach of the National Equestrian Centre at Taupo centre after Lochie Richards did not renew his contract. Most of the hight level NZ eventers and other riders passed through Jennifers critical and well-trained eye. The most famous horse was Charisma and she talked about how Mark Todd eventually wrestled him off her and we know the rest of that story.

Further on her in her coaching in NZ she was being driven around the South Island and drove through Cust. She saw a section for sale and asked the driver to stop and promptly bought it.

Jennifer’s influence was obvious within this group and Jennifer enjoyed speaking to Pony Club colleagues and even a former pupil reminded her of his positive influence on him!

Jennifer also had a considerable influence on NZ Riding Clubs as she worked with Christine Christian and the New Zealand Riding Clubs and others to start changing mindsets on shared trails (with bikes and walkers) back in the 1980s. She is also the South Island patron of the New Zealand Riding Clubs.

Members commented. “I wish she was 20 years younger so I could have coaching with Jennifer”, “Inspirational” and “wasn’t Jennifer amazing”.  When I asked Jennifer in a pre-interview talk what did she attribute her health to she, of course, attributed her riding and horses to the quality of her life.  

A lot of years, a lot of inspiration, a lot of horse riding and coaching. How lucky were we!