Christina Barker

Christina is a BSc (Hons.) student heading into her final year studying Equine Behavioural Science with Anglia Ruskin University, who has an extensive background in both the sport horse and bloodstock industries.

Her career began working for a Grand Prix dressage trainer, starting solely with her experience as a horse owner and competitor. As she developed skills and experience in this post, she eventually took full responsibility for the day-to-day management of the yard.

This prepared Christina for her next role as a stud hand in racing, where she developed an understanding of breeding and youngstock management and began to really focus on the importance of management on equine
behaviour and wellbeing. This role involved assisting with all aspects of the breeding and youngstock production process and she presented stock at the December sales annually.

Alongside her studies, Christina has been working as a freelance groom and trainer, utilising her working knowledge of equine behaviour to assist clients and their horses with a range of concerns, such as difficulty with routine husbandry procedures.

Discovering the importance of behavioural science over a decade ago, Christina was keen to pursue this professionally and this led her to undertake formal education in the field. From this, she hopes to combine her industry experience with a well rounded understanding and evidence-based knowledge from her degree to enable her to contribute to improved horse welfare through behaviourally focussed, best-practice knowledge transfer.