IN 2006, I retired from the Army in order to devote my full attention to the Curragh Equine Rehabilitation Centre; a business I had established with my wife Fiona a year earlier.

Over the last decade and a half, we have built a strong reputation for dealing with problem horses, particularly those that have issues with the starting stalls.

Aside from working on that issue which I am perhaps best known for, we also break horses of every description, as well as offering equine hydrotherapy services and rehabilitation.

With both sides of my family heavily involved in the equine industry, it was perhaps only natural that I would eventually end up working with horses full-time.

My father, Seamus Hayes, was a legendary showjumper who won the very first Hickstead Derby in 1961.

He was victorious on a six-year-old named Goodbye, who he co-owned with Joe McGrath. My mother, Mary Rose is a sister of Willie Robinson, the jockey best known for his association with Mill House.

After my father had a career-ending fall in 1967, my mother took over the showjumpers in our care. Indeed, she was very successful in that respect, competing in shows all over the country.

As a young child, I would travel around with her and when old enough, I started to jump my own pony. However, I lost interest for a time in my late teens, so after my Leaving Certificate, I switched direction and went to agricultural college. From there, I gained employment on a large farm in Glanworth [Cork] where I milked cows.

My re-introduction to horses came via the Army Equitation School. The army were short of competent riders who had achieved the necessary grades in their Leaving Certificate to join the cadets. So, it was agreed to drop that entry requirement in order to take on four new riders.

I applied and following an interview, was successful in gaining one of those places. I spent six years at the Army Equitation School but it was difficult to move up the ladder with such established riders ahead of me.

If you were fortunate enough to come across a good horse, almost inevitably it was passed on to the more senior riders to jump. With a couple of promising new men coming up through the ranks, I was transferred to the Transport Corps in the Curragh.

Subsequent to my years in the Army Equitation School, I did quite well with a horse my mother owned, Solas Realta. He was selected for international competitions at three Dublin Horse Shows as well as winning Grand Prix competitions around the country. He was also placed in international classes at Millstreet.

Changed direction

In 1989, I bought a thoroughbred at Goresbridge, with the intention of jumping in competitions. However, he wasn’t very good at it, so I changed direction and decided to run him in point-to-points.

We won our novice riders’ maiden second time out and later his novice point-to-point at the Kildare Hunt in Punchestown.

At that time, you could get a licence to train a point-to-point horse for hunter chases on the track, so I applied and was successful. Bianconi and I were badly hampered in the Ladies Cup on the Tuesday but we returned to win the famous La Touche Cup on the Thursday. He was later sold to the owners of Team Spirit (Grand National winner 1964), with a view to competing in the Grand National at Aintree.

Working with racehorses wasn’t alien to me at that time, as my mother had held a licence when I was in my early twenties and subsequently schooled horses over fences for Charlie and later, Dermot Weld.

In the late 90s, I also rode in a few charity races between the Army and Gardaí, which were run at the Curragh on Irish St Leger day. I was fortunate enough to win two such races: firstly, on Electric Rhymer, trained by Dermot Weld for Michael Smurfit and latterly on Sunless, who was owned and trained by my mother.

My army career included two trips to the Lebanon in 1994 and 1999. I got married to Fiona that latter year and we have three children [Tara (19), Liam (18) and Aine (14)], who are all involved with horses.

In 2004, I received a promotion in the army, which meant I was relocated to Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines. After two years of negotiating the Naas Road every morning and evening, I decided to retire in order to concentrate on our new business.

With the aid of a Leadership grant, Fiona and myself had set up the Curragh Equine Rehabilitation Centre in 2005. We had been searching for a business idea as the daily commute to and from Dublin was beginning to take its toll. After discussing a couple of possible options, we came up with the business plan for the rehabilitation centre.

My mother had schooled racehorses for many years so I knew that was something I could pursue. Alan Fleming had a spa/hydrotherapy pool on the Curragh but was looking to give that up as he was too busy with training commitments, so we jumped at that opportunity.

Overlooked

I also began to look at starting stalls, feeling it was an area that had previously been overlooked. Monty Roberts was an internationally renowned horse whisperer and expert on the subject but it hadn’t been developed here in Ireland.

I had met Monty when he gave a seminar at Kill International back in 1990 and had been very impressed with his demonstration. I followed his work [and continue to do so] in the intervening years and credit him as being a huge influence on me.

Having placed an ad in The Irish Field, I set about my business. Dermot Murphy was the first man to ring me up; which same as a shock if I am honest. I was ill prepared as I had yet to buy a set of stalls, so I met him on the Curragh and in truth, I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing!

However, from there it just began to take shape and having bought our own stalls, I began to get more clients. I do all that work on my own as I believe it is important to build trust and a connection with the horse.

Fiona may be called upon to help the odd time but, in those circumstances, she knows exactly what to do.

Generally speaking, horses with stalls issues can be sorted out here on site in 45 minutes or less but the odd one may need to stay here for a period of time. One of the first horses I helped, Across The Rhine, went on to win at Group 3 level for Tracey Collins, while more recently, Willesee, won her maiden at the Curragh for Jessica Harrington. Dual Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song also benefitted from our stalls work.

Paul Deegan was the first trainer to send me yearlings to break, followed by Sheila Lavery and John Oxx. I have known Sheila for many years and she has always been a great supporter of mine. I went in to John Oxx’s yard to break horses right up until he retired last year.

In recent years, I have returned to my first love showjumping, competing at a much higher level than I could ever have hoped for at this stage of my life.

Will Hayes was in conversation with John O’Riordan