EQUINE EDUCATIONAL ADVOCATE
William Micklem is a speaker, author, coach, breeder and columnist.
William Micklem is a speaker, author, coach, breeder and columnist. William’s educational presentations are wide-ranging, covering all equestrian disciplines and coach education for all sports. In particular, he has developed a reputation for his innovative presentations and structures for improving performance in all activities, The GO! Rules, Habitual Hats, and The Winning EDGE. He also presents his one-man entertainment Ride a Cock Horse.
His book, The Complete Horse Riding Manual (Dorling Kindersley 2003 – published in eleven languages), is the best selling equestrian manual in the world and introduced his highly praised concept of using ‘Constants & Variables’ for all riding. In addition, he was one of the eleven contributing riders to 101 Exercises from Top Riders (David & Charles 2007) and one of the contributing panellists to the BHS Advanced Manual of Horsemanship (Kenilworth Press 1980).
William is a Fellow of the British Horse Society (FBHS), a Tutor for Coaching Ireland and a Level 3 coach for Horse Sport Ireland. He was formerly National Coach for Bord na gCapall (Irish Horse Board), coach to the Irish Junior and Young Rider event teams and Training Director at the Mark Phillips Gleneagles Equestrian Centre. His work to make cross-country training safer has influenced many coaches and he also specialises in the assessment and training of young horses. He champions a kinder and more natural approach to horse training and his ground-breaking and more humane Micklem Bridle is now in use throughout the world and fully approved for all disciplines by the FEI. In addition, his innovative training ideas for children and young riders have challenged traditional methods. All this has led to him being in demand at training conferences around the world. In 2014, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Eventing Ireland.
As well as finding Karen and David O’Connor’s three great Olympic medallists, Biko, Custom Made & Gilt Edge, he also bred Mandiba, the World Breeding Federation event horse of the year for 2010, and Zara Phillips’ High Kingdom, British team silver medallist at both the London Olympics in 2012 & the World Equestrian Games in 2014 and in the top 10 individually in their four 4* competitions. He stands a stallion, their full brother Jackaroo, and continues to breed exceptional event horses.
William is a columnist for Eventing Nation and The Chronicle of the Horse and is a regular contributor The Irish Field and to equestrian magazines in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.
Qualifications and Memberships
- Inventor of the renowned Micklem bridle
- Fellow of the British Horse Society (FBHS)
- Level 3 Coach for Horse Sport Ireland
- Tutor for Coaching Ireland
- Author of The Complete Horse Riding Manual (Dorling Kindersley 2003)
- Contributing writer for “101 Exercises from Top Riders” (David & Charles 2007)
- Contributing writer for the BHS Advanced Manual of Horsemanship (Kenilworth Press 1980)
- Owner of an elite horse breeding program
- Previous Training Director at the Gleneagles Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre in Scotland
- Trained the Irish Junior and Young Rider Horse Trials Teams
- Worked for Bord na gCapall (The Irish Horse Board)
- Previous chief instructor for Robert Hall