In the beautiful Blackdown Hills of Somerset, Dovecote Stables is a top quality riding school, livery yard and coaching centre.

Click here to read more about our dressage schoolmaster lessons on highly trained Spanish and Friesian horses.

Sam Twyman, along with his novelist partner Fiona Walker, established Dovecote Stables in 2007. The sixteen acre farm, with its modern 18-box stable yard, international-sized arena and state-of-the-art facilities is an opportunity for Sam to use all the expertise and experience he has gained over twenty years working with horses to benefit clients old and new.

• Livery & schooling
• Schoolmaster lessons
• Coaching & private lessons
• Rug wash
• Arena hire
• Quality horses occasionally for sale
• Backing & breaking by arrangement
• Flatwork & dressage specialists. 

With over twenty years experience as a professional rider and coach, Sam has trained and worked with some of the best international dressage, eventing and show-jumping riders and competed in every discipline, picking up invaluable experience and knowledge which he now uses in combination with RWYM techniques and his classical training to bring out the absolute best in riders and horses of all abilities.

Among the many well known names on his cv are: Eventers Karen Dixon, Rachel Bayliss, Christian Landolt (Sui) and Vaughan Jeffries (NZ); Canadian Olympic show-jumper Ian Millar, dressage trainers and judges, Peggoty Henriques and Nick Williams, as well as Bill Noble and Trish Gardner. Most recently Sam has produced horses alongside Danish trainer Flemming Lyngsoe and trained with Grand Prix rider Henriette Andersen in the UK.

He’s experienced at coaching riders and schooling horses of all levels, dealing with training issues, confidence crises and discipline problems. In addition, he has managed yards large and small, including riding schools and equestrian/agricultural colleges. 

For the past decade, Sam has run Overdale Equestrian Centre in the Cotswolds, UK base of trainer and 'Ride With Your Mind' author Mary Wanless. As well as teaching alongside Mary and taking sole charge of the yard in her absence, Sam ran a successful independent livery service, competed at dressage to PSG and coached individual competition riders, beginners and back-to-the-saddle riders returning after a long break. He is particularly reputed for his:

• Ability to motivate and engage riders’ enthusiasm
• Great skill with nervous riders
• Confidence-boosting tips and techniques
• Gentle, effective approach with difficult/resistant horses
• Keen eye for changes needed to the rider’s body ‘line-up’
• Long-lasting, life-changing results for both horse and rider