The owner of an equine training centre in Highland Perthshire – who spent 20 years leading mountain expeditions across the world – says her enterprise is starting to kick on after she bought the land for her business just days before the first Covid pandemic lockdown.
Humane Dunkeld horse trainer Karen Inkster started up Equine Unlimited to help owners train horses without the need for physical disciplining techniques.
Karen uses positive reinforcement methods, such as clicker training and promotes barefoot and bitless riding.
Equine Unlimited also teaches courses utilising verbal cues, riding without the use of whips or spurs and walking the mammals with no bridle or saddle.
After 20 years of experience as a globe-trotting expedition leader – in places such as Madagascar, Peru and the Sahara Desert – Karen returned to her Highland Perthshire birthplace.
Her sanctuary, which is 100 per cent self-sustaining using just solar power and water for energy, is now home to nearly 30 rescue animals including geese, ducks and cats.
Speaking to the PA, Karen said: “I bought the land just 10 days before the first Covid lockdown.
“It was a big field and a barn so it did take me that first year to get things ready to go.
“Last year there were glamping pods for people to stay while the horses were here but that got cancelled when COVID came back again.
“I started the business to try and raise awareness of equine welfare.
“It is different from a riding school in that it is positive reinforcement – so it is like clicker training but for horses.
“Force free is what they call it and working with the horse more than getting it frightened into doing something. Some of the traditional ways they train horses is terrible.
“It has been accepted to hit horses with sticks by trainers, which in my mind is not right.
“If you saw someone in a park do that to a dog there would be uproar. You get a much better bond with them through trust rather than through stress.
“I do a lot of ground work, take them for walks, do lots of arena stuff with no bridle or saddle.
“Almost like a dog you teach them verbal cues. So when you ride them you are not having to kick them to make them go faster.
“It is a much kinder approach.”
Karen was a qualified mountain leader and spent over 20 years leading walking, mountain biking and horse-riding expeditions in Mongolia, Madagascar, Peru, Nepal and Tibet, and even camel riding across the Sahara Desert.
Then six years ago Karen took on her first rescue horse, Connie, who had behavioural issues –which were so bad she broke Karen’s ribs twice in 18 months.
“She used to bite and rear so I read books and listened to so-called experts who said you need to show her who is boss,” she explained.
“I took her and my dog to the Hebrides and traversed the Hebrides completely by ourselves for three weeks.
“We did a 300km journey and I thought I needed to be with her 24/7 so she can finally trust me.
“We raised about £6000 for charity Riding for the Disabled doing the trip.
“She came back a completely different horse.”
Karen now takes care of five horses of her own, all rescues, and they have even helped raise money for worthy causes – totalling £17,000 so far.
Most poignant of all was that in August Karen and Connie travelled across the 103km Cateran Trail and raised £1700 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
“I raised it for Macmillan as my mum has got cancer,” she said. “That was the first non-animal charity that had received money.
“We did the whole trail with Monty who was my second horse.
“I led him and took my dog Rosie who is a rescue dog as well and we camped out every night.
“People have been very generous over the years.”
Karen’s success has also led her and her horses into film and TV work.
In 2021 she guided Paul Murton through the hills for his BBC show Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs without the use of bits or horseshoes.
Karen was later interviewed by Sophie Morgan on Channel 4 show Living Wild: How to Change Your Life.
It focused on Karen’s off-grid accommodation.
Karen’s horses were also used in a Western movie, Land of the Free, which was shot in Fort William at the end of 2021.
She said: “All of the film crews have been completely on board with the approach that I take.
“So some of the scenes in the Western the horse had to run away from the camera.
“And normally there would be something to frighten the horse but I didn’t want to do that.
“So I took one horse around the corner and let the other one off and then whistled.
“So she ran away from the camera and came round the corner to find me.
“It is just a nicer way of doing things.
“I am hopeful the film work will raise awareness of what I am doing and start getting more people next year hopefully.”
Looking back she said: “If you told me I was going to be running my own equestrian centre two years later I would have laughed at you.
“I was working for a charity and sold my house and went to living in a static caravan in a field!
“I have managed to rehome horses to other people and help as much as I can.
“It is fantastic just to see someone thinking about positive reinforcement and they send you an update a month later and they have a more comfortable horse.
“That keeps you going, especially on the days you spend most of the day poo-picking in the rain!”
