Clicker trainer

Lucy Chester on switching from movie-making to liberty training and how sheep provided the perfect demo

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I started in the film industry. I loved horses and intended to get one, but fell into casting and did that for six years, then I could afford a horse. So I bought Tao, but didn't realise he was a problem pony.

Initially, no one else would really handle Tao, and working ridiculous hours meant I had to do him first and last thing. It was extremely stressful and I developed chronic fatigue. I had to choose: sell him and keep working, or get healthy, quit that life and stick by him? I loved him and realised he would end up in the wrong hands so I decided to keep him.

I was the UK casting director for the 2015 thriller, San Andreas, my last big job and the one that broke me. I remember thinking, "This is where I've always wanted to be, why am I not more excited?" I think because it wasn't what I was supposed to be doing.

I had a friend at The Sunday Telegraph, who did a feature on Tao and me. She found it interesting as it was different to what most people thought about relationships with horses. I'd been the crazy kid who ran around with the horse at liberty instead of riding.