At the Grassroots Gazette, our mission is to shine a light on the inspiring stories of grassroots equestrians who embody the spirit of dedication, sacrifice, and love for the horse. In this edition of our Community Member in Focus series, we are thrilled to introduce you to Steff Singleton. This series is more than just stories; it’s about documenting, engaging, and promoting the journeys of grassroots equestrians.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? 

I wasn’t born into a horsey family, in fact as a child, the only interaction I got with those four-legged giants was poking strands of grass that I had plucked from the side of the verge, most of which I would drop for fear of losing my fingers, through a fence. At the age of 10, on the first day of the summer holidays, I was heard repeatedly saying I was bored, when an enormous paper backed book of all the business contacts in the local area was promptly put beside me and it was suggested I find something to do. I hesitantly made a phone call to the local riding school asking if they may need any volunteer help, that very same day I stepped into a world that would become my life…..the stables!! Since then I have dedicated myself to horses and everything surrounding them, or maybe I’ve just become a slave to some very demanding oversized dogs, who knows, but one thing I will say is that whether owning or working with them, life without horses would be a very strange existence. 

 What is your favourite aspect of being part of the equestrian community? 

What I love about the horse world is that whenever there is an animal in need of help, it doesn’t always have to be a horse or pony, everyone rallies together (either in person, via contacts or even online across the other side of the world) to help solve the problem all for the better of that animal. I think in those moments it really brings a sense of humanity back to the community and the realisation that we are all here for the same reason…..LOVE! 

 What are some of your proudest achievements with your horse? 

Ohh where to even start in the 10 years of owning my little traditional cob Huckleberry Pie he has proven the complete versatility of the breed by taking on anything i have ever asked of him with great enthusiasm and skill, from dressage, showjumping and eventing through to the more unusual disciplines of carriage driving, horseback archery and more recently Working Equitation, he holds so many achievements across the board of his career. Competitively, the accolades that hold most significance to me are in 2015 winning Supreme Champion performance horse at CHAPS Championships (highest ranking horse across all disciplines throughout the season), representing riding clubs at multiple Area qualifiers and National championship and just last year in our first time competing in the sport of working equitation we received reserve national champion. It’s not always about prizes though so if you really want to know what makes me proud of my horse, it’s the amount of people he has helped and inspired along the way, transporting brides to their big wedding day in a beautiful open top carriage, trotting through the streets of London all the way to Buckingham Palace as part of All the Queen’s Horses at London New Years Day Parade and Volunteering his services to the local Riding for Disabled as a safe and sensible mount. He really is the horse of a lifetime and I’m extremely lucky to be his caretaker. 

 Can you introduce us to your horse? What’s their name, breed, and personality like?

 Huckleberry Pie AKA Pie, Podge, Poggers, and a variety of other names depending on the day that I probably can’t type here, is a little 15.2hh traditional cob with a very large personality. It is not unknown for me to be seen hot stepping across the yard cursing, after he has sneakily untied himself. Fortunately though, in typical cob style, a blade of grass is often enough to grind him to a halt so I can catch up. It’s impossible to stay mad with this little critter for long though as his inquisitive large eyes, cheeky smile and skill for exceptionally slobbery kisses is enough to curl the corners of even the sternest of faces. Over the years Pie has charmed the socks off of thousands of people both in person and through the powers of social media, if you are not careful you may just find yourself as one of them.

Are there any mentors or fellow community members who have significantly influenced your journey?

 Unfortunately, either via location or finances I have never been able to have a consistent mentor in person, but the power of the internet and social media is incredible and I have learnt so much about various areas of the horse industry, which has been rather handy trying to fumble my way through training my own horses from backing to the dizzy heights of PSG dressage etc I think most recently I have realised from a performance/welfare point of view it really does pay to learn about what is going on inside our horses for a better understanding of behaviour and the biomechanics of how each horse moves. Becks Nairn is a normal horse owner in New Zealand who has found herself on a journey to discover more about the individual issues each horse experiences via dissections she performs on her property and is brave enough to share her findings with the world in the hope of educating and opening the eyes of more equestrians. 

 What advice would you give to newcomers in the equestrian community?

 Explore, explore and explore some more! Even though you may have been lucky enough to find what area of the equestrian world you wish to pursue there is so much that can be learnt from peeking into other areas of the industry that will help you perfect your craft. Ask any horse person and they will tell you that you will never stop learning in this community. So be adventurous, stay open and soak up any opportunities like a sponge. 

 What are your aspirations for the year ahead? 

There have been a lot of significant changes already this year with the biggest being a move from Lancashire in England, back to the depths of bonny Scotland where I have been lucky enough to acquire my own little yard, with this all the plans I had made for the season ahead have been flipped on their head. I found such passion in the sport of Working Equitation last year and had a full season of competitions lined up, but with a move over 100 miles North and the sport yet to make it into Scotland there is a lot of rejigging to be done to make it achievable. However, being an approved coach for British Working Equitation and a candidate Judge, I am making it my mission to really kick start Scotland’s interest in this exciting discipline and hopefully I shouldn’t have to make too many long journeys South in the coming years. 

 What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

I am completely self taught; I have never been able to afford to have regular coaching and other than a short stint at college as a teenager everything I have learnt has come via watching other people watching videos, reading or trial and error from the greatest teachers horses themselves. I think when people see me out making the impossible possible on my little cob; they believe that there must be a parade of coaches behind me calling out the buttons to press. Nope, it’s just me, Pie and a little bit of hope, fumbling our way through life. 

 Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of the equestrian world? 

I’ve always said that if i hadn’t gone down the route of horses, I would probably have found myself doing something in the entertainment industry. I love to sing….. much to the disgust of the horses and can be found bopping along to all genres of music depending on the mood of the day. I have taken to the stage with a microphone for karaoke, concerts and even did a short stint singing in a band. The downside is that, just like the horse industry, the performance world is also quite time consuming and I just haven’t quite found a happy medium to make them work together in harmony. So I guess I shall just have to keep performing my best Tina Turner and Shania Twain acts to my unappreciative equine audience while shovelling poop. 

 What message would you like to share with the equestrian community? 

There are a lot of different areas within the equestrian world, and not all share the same views on how horses should be trained and managed….. be open-minded, take the things you can work with and leave the ideas that do not serve your purpose with your horse. The main thing to remember is everyone is different, every horse is different, and that is what makes this community such a fascinating place to immerse oneself.