About Equine Qualifications UK CIC

Hello! I’m Cat, the founder of Equine Qualifications UK CIC. My journey into the equestrian world began as a pony-mad kid who felt like an outsider due to my non-horsey background. My early experiences were thanks to my local riding school, which, while invaluable, offered only a glimpse into the broader equestrian landscape.

After high school, I pursued a degree in Psychology, even though my heart was set on working with horses. Following graduation, I landed a role in university admissions at a Russell Group institution, where I gained insight into the complexities of higher education. It was during this time that I decided to train as an equine sports massage therapist—a decision that sparked the idea for Equine Qualifications UK CIC.

While living in Scotland and working in admissions, I faced challenges finding a suitable qualification to become accredited in equine massage therapy. This led me to travel to Devon for the best course that fit around my other commitments. I spent two years commuting up and down the country to pursue my goal.

In 2023, I had a brainwave: the equestrian industry needed a comprehensive educational listing service to map out opportunities across the UK. I envisioned a platform that could fund itself by offering tailored marketing services for education providers within this niche, complex industry.

I spent the year learning about the barriers learners face and how to address them, while also understanding how these insights could benefit education providers. I launched EQUK’s social media presence with the help of Graphic Designer Jorja Scott, explored podcasting with the help of Dave Howard from Bespoken Media, and demonstrated the strong demand for such a service.

During this time, I conducted research with the help of Sarah Clarke (Creative Marketing Cheshire and Finer Equine). We visited and spoke to learners and yards throughout the country including Ebony Horse Club and Reaseheath College. What we discovered was that many prospective students who wanted to pursue equine studies were put off by the lack of clear information that existed about pathways,  equestrian careers and the education they needed to get there.

Having worked in higher education for a number of years, I understand that education providers often do not have the capacity to resource their outreach work in a meaningful and applied way. Learners who want to pursue equine studies or work face unique challenges. Given the current climate within the equine industry, it felt like there has never been a more fitting time to launch an innovative solution that is mutually beneficial to both education providers looking to grow diversity in their student bodies and also to improve the accessibility of this education for those who will benefit from it. 

In Spring 2024, I secured a start-up grant from Firstport, and with the support of Growbiz Scotland, began developing the business. That summer, I worked with web designer Nico Morgan to build our website and photographer/videographer Cameron Telford to create our iconic imagery.

EQUK has been a true labour of love, and we’re just getting started. I’m excited about the future and the positive impact we can make. There has never been a better time to enhance access to education within the equine industry and to innovate educational marketing to better meet the needs of both learners and institutions.

The future of EQUK is bright, and we are just at the beginning of the journey. 

If you are an education provider, you can learn more here about the ways EQUK can benefit your institution.

If you are a prospective learner, you can learn more about the services we offer and explore our library of helpful resources.

If you believe in the EQUK mission and want to support us, you can get in touch here.