Terry Cullen

I am a fully qualified Development and Performance Coach, Addiction Recovery Coach, an EAL/EAT facilitator (Dip Cert Adv) and horsemanship tutor .

I have over 20 years’ experience working with horses​, with a specific interest in problem horses and training .

Growing up as a child my family worked in the racing and polo industry breaking and training, I remember all I wanted was to be a jockey and ride in the Derby or the Grand National and would fly around the neighbouring fields on my chestnut pony, Bobby, pretending I was Steve Cauthen or Frank Berry. My parents often had to look for me early in the morning as I would have climbed out the window and gone into the fields to be with the horses.

For various reasons a career in horses never materialised and, after leaving home at 17 and finishing a Music and Performance Cert., I began a music career which I did professionally until calling it quits in 2007.

My own life experiences and battles with mental health and addictions led me back to my first love which was always horses, firstly by becoming a work rider and then by training and dealing with difficult horses.

While looking at different training methods I became influenced by a lot of western cowboy culture and natural horsemanship, firstly Monty Roberts, then later Tom Dorrance and Buck Brannaman. At the time I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I knew I felt better being around these beautiful creatures and would immerse myself in equine behaviour books, noticing that my behaviour effected their behaviour and vice versa – sometimes for the better and sometimes for worse.

It made me look at myself and, whilst difficult, I became obsessed with making the horse feel better – of course, not knowing he was actually healing me. Without that horse I fear I would not be alive today. Sam is 27 now and is an ever-present pillar of wisdom and kindness.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I could help people feel better about themselves ? – and this is what the Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) model allows me to deliver as part of my work at Stable Minds.

​With an interest in psychology, coaching, and personal performance, I like working with people who are having difficulty expressing their needs for whatever reason. My aim to work together towards realising their goals through working with these amazing animals .