High Armsheugh Stables

Livery and Testimonials

Livery, Training and Teaching

Currently has vacancies for Livery

Further information and testimonials: -

Jane Henderson has a wealth of experience with a lifetime spent in the saddle. She grew up on a farm in Perthshire where she learned to ride from an early age. She was a successful member of the Perth pony club event team. Upon leaving school Jane graduated to Talland School of equitation with her horse St Fillans. She trained for B. H. S exams and spent the summer eventing, concluding with a prestigious win of the under 21’s national championships at Locko Park.

With this success under her belt Jane developed her career by taking on the challenge of backing and training her own horse. Her first project, Colonel Vic, was a triumph; Jane backed him and took him from novice to advanced eventing successfully competing at Badminton and Burghley 3 day events. He was eventually sold as an event horse and went to America to compete.

With partner Simon Rodgerson, a very accomplished horseman and trainer, Jane would regularly go to Doncaster T. B. sales to buy and retrain horses to sell on for eventing and jumping. They enjoyed many fruitful years working together and competing across the UK and Europe.

Nowadays Jane is settled at High Armsheugh with her son Sean who has also found a passion for eventing, competing for Eglinton P. C. in various team events. Sean helps his mum around the yard backing and schooling ponies for a bit of extra pocket money!

Jane currently runs a livery yard offering a range of services from DIY to full livery with plenty of grazing available. She also takes on racehorses for backing, pre-training and retraining including remedial work for horses recovering from injury.

High Armsheugh farm is nestled in the beautiful Ayrshire countryside, set amongst the land of the old Annick estate, which has a long and traditional history of hunting and eventing. This yard is ideally located, only 15 minutes from the beach with the opportunity for cantering, and schooling with some small cross-country fences currently being added. High Armsheugh also has the bonus of a large indoor riding school for those unavoidable rainy days, which means your horse can be kept going no matter what the Scottish weather throws at us. Another facility on offer, for those horses requiring remedial work, is the use of a solarium with infrared heat lamps to help ease any aches and pains to produce a thoroughly refreshed horse. We treat all aspects of the horse from the physical – teeth and backs, to the psychological - confidence building and developing a wide variety of skills in order to produce a fully rounded horse ready to succeed in any frame.


Testimonials: -

I have sent young racehorses to be broken by Jane for several years. To date every one that she has handled has gone on to be a winner and most of them have had a long career. I attribute a large part of their success to the thorough grounding that they have been given. They leave her care as very sound and balanced horses, both physically and mentally. The success of her graduates has come both as immature juveniles on the flat and for many seasons as durable national hunt horses. I have no hesitation in recommending Jane for giving a young racehore the best of introductions to a successful career.

Jeremy Brummitt, (bloodstock agent)


I have been a livery at this yard for over 10 years now and would not consider moving anywhere else. The Indoor school is an absolute god send with the Scottish Weather and all there are loads of jumps available. When we get a summer, one of the fields is set up for jumping too. It is hacking distance from Eglington Park and just a short jaunt to Irvine Beach. Rowallan and Muirmill are also only about 20 minutes door to door. When I first arrived at High Armsheugh with my Thoroughbred, I was under the impression that I was a rider, but after a few lessons with Jane, I quickly discovered that I had only been sitting on horses and there was so much more to learn. Under Jane's tuition I have now sucessfully competed at BSJA and many riding club events, which I could not have done without her. What Jane does not know about horse care and riding is not worth knowing! I recently took on a 3 year old T /B which Jane backed and was able to take him out to competitions after only a couple of months training under her supervision. It is very apparent that the well being of the horses are Jane's priority and you never have that sinking feeling when you go on holiday or can't make it up that your horses will not have the best of care and attention whether it be a Grade A Show Jumper or a happy hacker. I have no hesitation on recommending Livery at High Armsheugh, sending problem horses for re-schooling or coming for a training session with Jane.

Shelby Reilly (Livery)


Jane Henderson's yard offers outstanding remedial work for the out-of-sorts thoroughbred. Perhaps, your once winning and on form horse has lost his /her sparkle ?
This is what happened to me and I was considering retiring and retraining our once winning racehorse who was only 5 years old. His form had deteriorated and he was just not performing the way he used to. He looked quite well in himself and had a lovely winter off with his friend, out in a field and bedded down in his stable in deep straw at night. I decided not to put him back into training but to send him to Jane Henderson. Jane's approach to the horse, like my own, is holistic and considering the entire horse, the mind, the body and the soul of this intelligent animal. Once the teeth were sorted it was time for the chiropractor to have a look as the horse was not moving well on the right reign and resisting. He was in pain and it soon became apparent that his pelvis was considerably out of line. He was worked gently daily in Jane's large and well kept indoor school and, together with massages, time outside he rapidly started to show improvement as this happened his work was upgraded. Rather like a ballet dancer he had to perform his exercises each morning on both reigns After a period of a few weeks his head dropped and his body moved fluidly with the ease and grace natural to these beautiful creatures. When loose jumping, he was in his element, the contact between him and his teacher apparent. It was then, after six weeks, that I could see that my horse wanted to race again, not be a show horse. He went back into training with our trainer Michael Dods, whose comment was "this is amazing, this horse will be racing fit in four weeks, what a superb job". All the out riders have told me that he is a different horse to ride. The proof is always in the pudding and our horse has gone on to having two seconds, one fourth and a win so far this season, and we are only in mid June! For me, it is always the horse first, honour your horse and he will give ten fold back.


So often I look at the form of many race horses and see that, in the past, they have performed brilliantly and suddenly their form has dropped so they are lagging behind in the field. Many of these are still so young four, five, six, seven and eight year olds even. Perhaps, it is that they need a rest and their bodies realigning and their minds calmed and invigorated. The reward will be yours if you take the kind step for your horse and let him /her have a few weeks of remedial work with Jane Henderson whose equine knowledge inspires confidence in the horse and whose kindness inspires them to achieve their best.


I wish Jane every success in her work and will continue to send our yearlings to be broken and any out of sorts horses back to her to benefit from her excellent remedial programme.

Emma Villiers (race horse owner)