Jane Holderness-Roddam

The Olympic gold medallist and double Badminton winner on treating every horse as an individual and coping with life’s ups and downs

- Pippa Roome

I USED to think there was one way of riding and all horses should fit in with that, but over time, I realised every horse needs treating as an individual and what works with one may not necessarily work for another. You have to get into a horse’s brain.

Warrior, who won both Badminton and Burghley, taught me an awful lot. He was very intelligent – much more so than me – and I had to learn to get the best from him. He wouldn’t go properly unless I rode him appropriately for his character.

I was working as a nurse at that time and I also had to learn how to get the best out of my patients and colleagues. It’s how you treat others which is important with both horses and people – you have to coax and ask, not tell.