The author has kept horses for forty years in a range of circumstances: the one-horse owner on rented paddocks; the shared DIY livery; and the running of a small stud on her own land. She has experienced most aspects of grassland management over this period and holds a degree in grassland ecology. An editor for J.A. Allen, she is currently a farm conservation adviser with the Farming & Advisory Group, and is helping to develop their Horsewise project. She lives near Cambridge with her husband, and in addition to keeping horses and sheep runs a small arable farm.